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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

State Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Karima Begam on Tuesday afternoon slapped Chief District Officer (CDO) of Parsa Durga Prasad Bhandari at the latter´s own office premises.

State Minister Begam slapped CDO Bhandari five times, saying that he sent an ´old´ vehicle to pick her up from Simara Airport. She was in Birgunj to attend an interaction on ‘Girl education campaign for women lawmakers’.

Begam, who was accompanied by party cadres, grabbed CDO Bhandari by the scruff of the neck and slapped him five times upon her arrival at the CDO office. CDO Bhandari was then waiting to welcome the visiting minister.

“Yes, I beat up the CDO. I slapped him five times, pulling him up by the collar,” said Begum.

It is learnt that Begam had initially demanded a Scorpio belonging to the District Development Committee, Parsa. The District Administration Office had sent a Mitsubishi car from the Agricultural Tools Research Office in Birgunj.

Begam told media persons that she slapped the CDO as the latter failed to send a new vehicle to pick her up.

“The CDO has been using the Scorpio. Why can’t a minister use the vehicle?” she asked angrily. “Who is senior-- minister or CDO?

More here. Very stupid, senseless, shameless, behaviorless, illiterate, disgraced minister. She should immediately resign from her post. She does not even know how to deal with government officials, whom she treats like slaves. The police officials are already squeezed by funds and resources and have been a scapegoat for all things that go bad in security front. Leaders need to boost their morale. Instead, we have these kind of stupid acts committed by a minister against a dedicated civil servant.

The overall quality of the present cabinet is shown by the character of this shameless and behaviorless minister. For the sake of upholding justice and morale, she should be forced to resign, publicly apologize to the CDO, and stripped off all party designations!

About

Formerly, economics officer at Asian Development Bank, Nepal Resident Mission. Worked as a researcher at SAWTEE, Kathmandu. Also, worked as a consultant for Ministry of Commerce & Supplies, Government of Nepal; FAO; UNDP, GIZ-CIM, and ADB among others. I was an op-ed columnist for Republica between December 2008 – June 2012. I also worked as a Junior Fellow for Trade, Equity & Development program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C .